Sumer is right around the corner, which means all new summer movies! This summer is boasting an impressive lineup of blockbusters for movie goers to enjoy. Here are just a few. 

   Kicking of the summer is the tenth installment of the Fast and Furious Franchise Fast X. So far the major plot has been kept under wraps, but Vin Diesel will be returning to play Dom Torreto, and the story will once again center around his family. The film is directed by Louis Leterrier, and will be released on May 19. 

   Disney’s The Little Mermaid will hit theaters on May 26. The live action retelling of the classic animated tale stars Halle Bailey as Ariel and is directed by Rob Marshall, who also directed Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns. The film will remain faithful to the original animated film for the majority of the plot. However, new songs will be added, and a few things from the original film have already been tweaked for a new audience. Marshall’s goal with the film, according to Entertainment Weekly, is to “push modernity further,” and as Ariel and Eric “find each other and really teach the world about prejudice.”

    The long awaited sequel to Sony’s 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, will be released on June 2, and it’s titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The movie will once again follow Miles Morales, this time as he ventures into the world of the multiverse. The original one Best Animated Feature at the 2019 Oscar’s and made over $300 million at the box office. 

   Disney and Pixar’s newest film will also be released this summer. The film is titled Elemental, and takes place in a world where all elements live together in one city. The story follows a fire elemental and a water elemental, as they meet and discover that they are actually more similar than they initially thought. The film will be directed by Peter Sohn, who has also been involved with films such as Ratatouille, Luca, Wall-E, and Monsters University. The film will release June 16, and will mark the return of Pixar to the theater after Lightyear. 

    One of the final movies of the summer, but the most popular is Barbie. The marketing for the film has taken social media by storm, and the film stars Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie, and Ryan Gosling as Ken. While the plot of the film has been kept incredibly secret, audiences know that the film will follow Barbie’s journey from Barbie Land into the real world. The cast is star-studded, with names such as Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, and Dua Lipa. The film is directed by Great Gerwig, most famous for directing 2019’s Little Women. According to Vogue, Margot Robbie states that the film “comes with a lot of baggage [but also] a lot of nostalgic connections.” The film will be released on July 21. 

   The summer of 2023 boasts an impressive amount of blockbusters for all to enjoy, and is a great option for a fun summer activity.